Morgan Bakaletz & Travis Goyette
On view August 12th - September 30th, 2022.
Imaginative and surreal landscape by Morgan Bakaletz and Travis Goyette’s geometric and patterned collage-work both embrace pattern and texture.
OPENING & ARTIST TALK on August 12th, 2022 from 6-8pm
ARTIST TALKS
Artist Talk w/Travis Goyette
August 24th at NOON ET on Instagram Live
Artist Talk w/Morgan Bakaletz
September 10th at NOON ET RESCHEDULED
September 12th at 2pm ET on Instagram Live
For every art opening, EAT/ART Space serves patrons and friends of the arts delicious food from a different local restaurant—
Local food feature:
Holy Taco
Johnson City, TN
Holy Taco makes their delicious recipes in-house with the freshest ingredients to give you the best tasting experience possible.
Photos courtesy of Holy Taco. For menu and more information, visit https://holytacocantina.com/.
Morgan Bakaletz & Travis Goyette
exhibition view & details
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
MORGAN BAKALETZ is based in Johnson City, TN.
These landscapes are somewhere where I can retreat to be myself. I have always associated alone with an actual place, and I’m trying to find that place in these fantastical, imaginary landscapes that I’ve been creating. I remember growing up, and despite being in my own body wearing my own clothes and doing what I wanted to do, I never felt quite like myself. When I finally came to terms with my queerness, a lot of the relationships in my life became strained and I started slowly pushing people out of my life that didn’t accept me, because I finally figured out that I don’t need permission to love, and that I’m not flawed or diseased or wrong.
I think as humans our relationship with land is strained. Our Earth has a funny way of showing its bruises and hurt from past relationships. We pave and mine and industrialize for our own good but never really think about how that affects nature. I don’t think this relationship with land can heal until we sit and listen to the stories our dirt must tell. We build and expand and succeed but do we ever stop and think about the stories nature must tell us? A lot of these landscapes are me, sitting and listening. I take long hikes without a care in the world about what time it is or what I must do and it’s a space where I can go away from all people and just Be. I don’t have to worry about how many likes I got on my recent Instagram post or what else I need to add to my grocery list or if I can buy gas this week or when I’ll get paid, the list goes on.
Most of these forms I’m creating are subjective associations of my mind, in which I’m making up plants based off more formal parallels in nature. Immediately, most of these spaces are whimsical and fun. When I sit in these spaces, it’s as if there’s a loud hum that never really stops. Some noise, no matter if it’s rushing water, humming of cicadas, or chittering of birds I am never quite at peace, never quite in chaos, and never quite alone.
—Morgan Bakaletz
TRAVIS GOYETTE is a musician and artist living in Bristol, Tennessee.
I am a lifelong creator and have expressed myself through art and music for as long as I can remember. Although I have dabbled in other media, I am drawn to collage because of my love of foraging in vintage and antique stores and interest in reducing waste and recycling found materials. I love the idea of using found materials to capture the viewer’s attention and to subvert their preconceived notions of what they’re actually looking at. Through my work, I hope to invite viewers to take a closer look and to appreciate the finer details. As a native to the Tri-Cities region, I am inspired by the natural beauty of our region and try to incorporate that beauty into my work as often as possible.
—Travis Goyette
ARTWORKS
all artwork and images © their respective artists - used with permission
